Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sunday Papers, Part 2

Though it goes through droughts of serious un-hipness, ska will never die: It’s just too fun and infectious to give up for good. (Plus, there are always fresh legions of impressionable high-school kids who don’t know how uncool this stuff is.) Hence the continuing success of The Toasters, one of the best ska acts to do right by the Jamaican style since the heady days of England’s Two-Tone scene. Staying true to the music’s all-inclusive spirit, the group plays the kind of ska that has been ripped into by countless punk acts over the years—but no amount of misrepresentation can mess up the infectious up-down skank that Toasters songs basically require.

Decent write-up--but some of the coolest people I've had the pleasure to know are into ska. Am I so out of it that the un-hip in my orbit just seem cool to me? Or is it that the alterna/indie-kids are just so damn snotty/greater than thou that they think their poop don't stank?

The Duff Guide to Ska Album, Single, Book, and Gig Reviews!

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Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, and more!

Enough About Me

"Ska--the last refuge of rebels, scoundrels, and the unemployable."

"An era of information/When no one seems to know what's going on..." -- "F.A.N." by New Young Pony Club

Steve from Moon--who am I?For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label (that was too ahead of the curve for its own good; RIP).

I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!

Here's an old interview with Adam Coozer from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders.

Duff means worthless.

I'm blogging from Gotham City, USA.

If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that we I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.

All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve from Moon. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog.

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